Charlgrove

The Rice Pudding !!!!

Freeland travelled to Charlgrove in the league. In past years this ground has not been kind to the Reds and they usually come away with a tinge of disappointment regarding the result.
The boys were in a rich vain of form and were looking to continue their excellent run.
After an initial pitch inspection, the game was deemed playable although it would be tough for both sides because even on a good day the Rice Pudding is energy sapping to say the least.
The game got under way and in a blink of an eye the Redmen found themselves a goal behind.
With only 1 minute 32 seconds on the clock the back four has decided to gift the Charlgrove striker a chance one that he wasn’t going to pass up, not even the long legs of Simon Calley could keep the ball from flying low to Adam Lonsdale’s left. Afterwards Lonsdale had confirmed that it did take a massive deflection.
One nil down, one minute in dreadful pitch, it could be a very very long afternoon. The first half was now extremely difficult the away side were seeing lots of the ball. In truth in areas that weren’t hurting them at all and we were just not quite good enough in the final third. Crosses in, shots on goal everything.
Halftime arrived, and Mr Longford was relatively upbeat. He said that the goal would come and keep knocking on the door and it would eventually open.
Thankfully he was right and after 60 mins that Man Danny Taylor did manage to find the bottom corner after some great work by Tomas Parker.
A huge sigh of relief and surely Freeland would now take the game by the scruff of the neck and drive on and get the winner.
Wave and wave after attack still they couldn’t break a dogged Charlgrove side down. Headers flashing just wide, shoots being blocked on the line, the keeper saving a certain Eddie Parker strike with his Face.
Was it not to be as Freeland entered injury time. One last attack right hand side. Liam Harris charging a ball down in the far-left corner, then does brilliantly to ride two very last-ditch tackles. He then still manages to shrug another defender off when it looks s certain that the ball is going to be cleared.
Head up smashes a low cross front post and Danny Taylor just manages to get in front of the Excellent Nick Skiller in the Charlgroves defence to pock the ball home.
Cue wild celebrations from Longford and he jumped around on the side line like a man posseted.
1-2. Please can we not have anymore of these fellas. Nearly has a heart attack, had to order a pallet load of just for men and still picking thorns out of my hands three days after the game. (I’m sure Charlgrove plant more every year and use these for time wasting purposes.)
Anyway, still love Saturdays, Love the Redmen love life. See you at the weekend.